Spring in Ed Miliband's step suggests he feels Downing Street is within reach
|
Version 0 of 1. With less than 24 hours to go before the polls open, Ed Miliband looks like a man who may be about to have the satisfaction of seeing his detractors proved wrong. To the cameras, the Labour leader will say only that he is increasingly confident. But there is a bounce in his step and a broadness to his grin that says Miliband believes he is within reach of Downing Street, despite all the predictions to the contrary over the past five years. It may be a sign of his optimism that the Labour battle bus is not embarking on a desperate dash around marginals in all corners of the UK like Cameron and Clegg. This week, the Labour leader has been doing about three main stops a day, including on Tuesday a people’s question time (a session with undecided voters) in Bedford, a campaign stop (a five-minute speech to activists waving flags and sporting “hell, yes” T-shirts) in North Warwickshire and a visit to a hospital in Erewash to talk to patients. Aides insist Miliband is not deliberately playing it cool, just that he is keen not to distract too many candidates and their teams from a single doorstep. But it is a clear contrast with the tactics of his rivals who are trying to cover the length and breadth of the country by helicopter and private planes. He is keeping to this steady pace on Wednesday, but the final evening of the campaign will be rounded off with a rally in a northern city, which is going to be “big but not too big”, according to those on his team. Despite the good mood of Camp Miliband, they are obviously anxious to avoid any hint of complacency, which led the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock to be mocked for declaring victory too soon in what became known as the “Sheffield rally” moment. One adviser is on constant “hubris watch” to check whether anything Miliband does could come across as triumphalist, especially given that a hung parliament is the most likely outcome. On the day of the polls, Miliband and his wife Justine will vote in his constituency of Doncaster North and later do a clip for the cameras outside their home. Some thought among aides has been going into when he will grab some sleep, as he will need to ensure he is ready for any negotiations that will start as soon as possible on Friday in the event of a deadlock. Last time, Gordon Brown managed to fit in at least a two-hour nap between 8pm and just after 10pm, when the first exit polls started to come through. Senior figures are already being lined up to spin on the airwaves for that key moment this time, including shadow chancellor Ed Balls between 10pm and midnight. By the morning, the main action will converge on Westminster. The Labour team is conscious that it may take Miliband longer to get from Doncaster to London than Cameron from Witney or Clegg from early-declaring Sheffield. But Labour aides are convinced it will become clear fairly quickly on Friday from the arithmetic of the seats whether Cameron has enough support to get a Queen’s Speech through the House of Commons. If Cameron tried to declare victory as leader of the largest party without the possibility of building a majority with other parties, Labour would call for him to resign in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance. Miliband has been determined not to be drawn into the political wrangle about legitimacy on the last day before the election, but one adviser says “the rules are the rules” – a sign that they believe the parliamentary maths is what matters. Related: The seats to stay up for – and the numbers that matter – on election night Whether Labour comes first or second, it is apparent the party would be prepared to talk to the Lib Dems, with Miliband acknowledging for the first time on Tuesday that he has red lines. Already, the party has given up on unseating Clegg in Sheffield and believe they will have to deal with him in the event of any talks – unless he is decapitated by his own side. However, in the final few hours of campaigning, Miliband will try to bat away any more speculation about potential horse-trading and deals. In answer to almost any question between now and 7am on Thursday morning, he will smile, look straight down the camera and relentlessly hammer home his core message about the choice between a Tory government for those at the top and a Labour government that works for working people. |